04.

The appointed time is 9:00AM.

It will be a picnic at the nature park.

I was a little surprised at the specified details.

What would three men think about to come up with a word like “picnic”?

In this case, what will we do about packed lunch?

Very well. I will take on this challenge.

Even though I’m like this, I lived alone in the previous life.

Cooking for oneself is the best! I live that sort of life.

I have some knowledge so I should be able to make it…probably.

I made that conclusion and showed the menu I wrote to our head chef. I want to make them by myself so I only asked him to help me pack them into stacked boxes.

The reality that people of Sagara clan are very soft on the youngest child is applicable to the servants as well, so it led to the expected outcome.

I had s.h.i.+ppuu carry the lunch four 4 people and when we finally arrived at the entrance of the nature park, two eye-catching boys were standing there.

“…Sorry. Are we late?”

Ariwara and Tachibana looked back as if surprised, but they became even more startled when they saw s.h.i.+ppuu.

“Okabe, what’s that baggage?”

“…Lunch…”

Realizing it for the first time, Ariwara and Tachibana exchanged looks.

Well, my sisters said men are often like this.

“Mizuhime especially made it early in the morning. Obviously——-”

“——–you’ll carry it, right?”

Ariwara’s answer as he interrupted s.h.i.+ppuu in panic totally disagreed with s.h.i.+ppuu’s statement.

“…Ah…”

At that very painful spectacle, Tachibana covered his eyes and groaned.

“Sorry, Sagara-san. You even had to especially make lunch for us. Let me do it over, good morning.”

Betraying his refres.h.i.+ng appearance, Tachibana smiles wryly and calmed the thoughtless Ariwara. He mended the division through morning greetings.

“Good morning. I don’t mind if you call me Mizuhime. We came to hang out as friends, didn’t we?”

“Good morning, Sagara-san. Sorry.”

Ariwara s.h.i.+zuki lowered his head. It may be hard to imagine from this pleasant behavior but he’s actually our year’s top 5—– a high achiever.

“You don’t have to worry about it. In cases like this, whoever realized it should be the one to do it.”

“No, I’ll eat!! Itadakimasu!!”

“Know some restraint.”

It’s rare that s.h.i.+ppuu banters with all his best.

While thinking such and watching them, an amusing rapid-fire comic dialogue has unfolded that I was convinced,

“s.h.i.+ppuu, leave it at that.”

“Wai–! Isn’t that too cruel!? Okabe, you’re so heartless!”

Ariwara protested as he noticed this time that he’s being teased, but s.h.i.+ppuu feigned ignorance.

“Beyond this point, there’s a waterfall that people rarely visit. Let me guide you there…ah, the footholds are properly maintained so we can walk without problems.”

Tachibana explained, disregarding s.h.i.+ppuu and Ariwara.

“I see. Then I look forward to the walk.”

When I nodded, Tachibana also nodded happily.

“I will be glad if you also call me Homare. And I want to explain minor details while we’re walking.”

“Is that so?”

I became puzzled when he said something unusual.

“That’s right. Ookami and Suwa do not allow us to approach so it was quite impossible to talk to you. I’m glad Okabe consented.”

“I don’t really understand the matter about Suwa and Ookami but if s.h.i.+ppuu cleared you from the required conditions, I would have agreed without problems.”

“Conditions?”

Tachibana Homare looked puzzled at my statement.

“Right. The details are confidential. It just means that as long as they’re trustworthy in s.h.i.+ppuu’s eyes, then I have no problem with it.”

We continued talking while beginning to walk slowly.

“Got it. In that case, we received an official guarantee from s.h.i.+ppuu.”

“Is it restraint or should I call it intimidation…? They are desperate not to let anyone get close to you. Well, it doesn’t seem like you allowed them to wait upon you like Okabe either.”

“What I meant was we have little consideration for Suwa. Of course, Okabe, too.”

Tachibana laughed a little and turned his gaze to Ariwara.

“Are you already exhausted, s.h.i.+zuki? You’re useless for baggage-carrying if you can’t manage that much.”

“Okabe looks like he has more than half of the baggage, though.”

All of them are carrying something excluding me, but I know that although s.h.i.+ppuu’s baggage looked the bulkiest, Ariwara’s was the heaviest.

I placed importance on making it easy to carry, but the contents were heavily filled with tea.

s.h.i.+ppuu really took a liking to Ariwara.

“s.h.i.+zuki, can you lend it to me? I will carry it.”

“Huh?”

Unsurprisingly, Ariwara was bewildered when I held out my hand to him.

“There is a trick in holding it. You shouldn’t hang it from your hand, carrying it in your arms will reduce its weight by half. It’s easier to carry.”

Therefore let me carry it, I pressed once again. Ariwara became fl.u.s.tered.

“It’s alright! I’ll carry it. I can’t make a girl carry a heavy baggage.”

“…That mentality is very attractive in a certain sense. But a man has something called honor after all so…”

“I see. Then, I’ll leave it to you, Ariwara. We’ll arrive soon, right?”

When I showed a smile and readily withdrew, Ariwara opened his eyes widely.

“Ah–! I got done in–!! You’re really skilled at dealing with people, Mizuhime.”

Smiling bitterly and looking up at the sky while groaning, Ariwara complained with a shrug.

“You should have known it from the very beginning. There’s no way you can match someone who’s working in the Student Council.”

Tachibana laughed while declaring so.

“Well, we’ve arrived at our destination. To start with, should we relax leisurely?”

With Tachibana’s remark, I noticed the waterfall and looked at it fondly.

Bare rock surface.

From those crevices, a water dragon leaps midair in abandon.

And after enjoying a stroll in the sky, its body sinks into the depths of the water.

When I was young, my second older brother Suou said to me, “The waterfall is the figure of a playing water dragon.”

I have three big brothers and two big sisters. In short, there are 6 of us siblings.

My childish mind was a little uneasy if my 2nd brother’s head was alright but I understand now.

Suou is a fantasy lover.

Double-edged two-handed swords, in other words, the so-called long swords from Medieval Europe and fantasy genre.

Unfortunately, Suou was not summoned to another world as a Hero so at present, he a.s.sumed the very normal position of President for the company that deals with Sagara Group’s intelligence system. He’s a newlywed, too.

This waterfall similar to what Suou said is not really that big, but contrary to the water dragon I remembered, the tense atmosphere of the sanctuary suits it very well.

It makes you feel the strength that washes away impure things, the fastidiousness and the generosity to let you admire something so pure.

It’s often called negative ions or power spot, but I feel like watching the waterfall absent-mindedly certainly calms the mind.

Even if you can hear the voices of people talking around you, the sound of water falling into the basin makes you unable to hear the contents of their conversation.

There are no other people besides us but even if there are, it will be alright.

Rather than having their own fill of the scenery, these boys in their growth period seems to find it more important to fill their stomachs.

I was unconsciously fascinated of the boys taking their meals with well-trained, elegant actions.

It was worth making the food.

I hardly need the same amount compared to the guys but I am full in a certain sense.

There are 3 love interests here with me.

My ears are indeed happy.

If I liked BL, I’ll go moe in another meaning, but I’m not putting moe points there.

I have no intention to capture these guys but listening to their friendly conversations, I honesty think I want my voice fetish and worldly desires to well up.

“Mizuhime? You’ve been quiet for a while now, are you tired?”

Tachibana looked at my face intently and I came to my senses.

“Mizuhime, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m alright. s.h.i.+zuki and Homare’s voices are pleasant to the ears so I was charmed for a moment. You two have really good voices.”

“…………..”

I nodded to s.h.i.+ppuu then answered honestly.Immediately after that, Ariwara and Tachibana looked away to different directions.

One is flushed deep red while the other is faintly blus.h.i.+ng in what seemed to be shyness.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Why are you getting embarra.s.sed from having your voice praised?

“No. There were people who praised me for my looks but it’s the first time for my voice, so I felt a little shy..”

Ariwara answered as if he was really shy.

“I see. But don’t you think having a pleasant voice is better than having good looks? Whether you become a politician or a senior executive, you often have to speak in public right? People will listen to you with just your pleasant voice. It’s to the point of obtaining the strongest weapon from the start. You can dominate anyone.”

“Preferring voice than looks, your imagination is so unusual. When they say that Sagaras are naturals, it may be unexpectedly true.”

Tachibana grumbled.

“Mizuhime never judges people from their descent or appearance. She looks at what’s inside before judging them. I think she’s amazing.”

“s.h.i.+ppuu, that’s what you call absolute overestimation or biased viewpoint. Well, faces change with personality, expressions and cosmetics so I don’t judge from appearances.”

“There are very few people who can say that you can’t judge someone with appearances alone, so that saved me…”

“…If you can calmly judge that far, I’ll be really troubled.”

I took no notice of the boys who said so with awkward expressions and leisurely looked up at the waterfall instead.

1. “…they say that Sagaras are naturals…”

天然 – something like a natural playboy/girl

2. “we received an official guarantee from s.h.i.+ppuu”

お墨付き – paper with the signature of shogun/lord.

3. The Akita is a large and powerful dog breed with a n.o.ble and intimidating presence. He was originally used for guarding royalty and n.o.bility in feudal j.a.pan.

4. iai (居合) – quick sword draw; the art of drawing the sword, cutting down the opponent and sheating the sword afterwards